Margin call

 We see it all the time, particularly in political discussion: someone will take an egregious action or inflammatory remark made by a single person and use it to characterize a larger group, organization or movement. A politician might say something foolish, and it’s indicative of all politicians in their party. (Sometimes a remark does represent the group, but often it’s just an oddball spouting nonsense or saying something – well, foolish).  

These ‘margin calls’ use an outlier as representative of a whole group, and in plain English, it’s lying. By definition, outliers do not represent a larger group; that’s why they are called outliers. The thing is, there’s basic math involved: the larger the group, the more outliers there may be within that group (which could include millions), making it easier (and lazier) to do a margin call. They are still outliers, though, and they do not represent more reasoned voices. 

We’re all guilty of it, to some degree: when we saw a single, ignorant ‘Freedom Convoy’ protester standing on top of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, it ‘confirmed’ what many may have thought about of all convoy participants. When some excitable commentator (or politician, or media source) bemoans an extreme ‘woke’ viewpoint, they often try to paint all ‘progressives’ with the same brush.  

Margin calls are cousins to whataboutism, a favourite tactic of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and any number of governments and political parties today. Whataboutism deflects the original question by comparing it to something else, which changes the focus. If a Western government questioned the USSR on human rights issues, the Soviets questioned civil or Indigenous rights in that country. It wasn’t untrue, but it allowed the Soviets to avoid answering the original question. If you hear the phrase “But what about…”, you can be pretty sure that someone is trying to change the focus. (A related aside: many, many politicians “avoid answering the original question”. In media training, it’s called “pivoting”. Watch how many ‘answers’ to questions posed by reporters or other politicians – hello Question Period – never address the original question; instead they ‘pivot’ to their desired message).

Margin calls and whataboutism abound in politics, opinion pieces and the great garbage-patch stew-fest that is the interweb. It shades the truth, flips black to white, and further muddies discoarse (sic). Shrill voices sometimes win out; as thinking, rational, fair-minded people (we hope) our job is to recognize margin calls and whataboutism for what it is. Lying by commission, omission or deception is still lying. Call it out without prejudice (i.e. on all sides of the political spectrum); if enough people do that, maybe they’ll be too ashamed to continue...

Nahh.

 Tom New / March 2, 2023